Kanye West’s latest social media rants became quite the trending topic over the past few days. Kanye’s rants touched on a variety of deeply personal issues.
Kanye addressed his recent divorce from Kim Kardashian, listed his favorite comedians (a list which featured himself), and, most interestingly, his business dealings with Adidas. The rapper’s partnership with Adidas is both long-running and highly successful.
However, it soured rapidly. Kanye took to Instagram and made shocking allegations against the shoe juggernaut. Including claims that Adidas actively stole Ye’s shoe designs, passing Yeezy designs as non-Yeezy shoes.
Adidas’ AdiFOM Q sneaker bears more than a passive resemblance to other Yeezy designs. Kanye’s anger towards Adidas no doubt caused much pressure on the company and its higher-ups, and unfortunately for them, Ye gained allies.
Diddy Jumps In
Another Hip-Hop heavyweight turned business mogul issued a statement supportive of Kanye. Diddy took to his Instagram account to give support and a screenshot of a text conversation between himself and Kanye.
The incredibly influential man told Kanye, “I never wear Adidas again for the rest of my life if they don’t make you right…” Kanye responded simply with, “Praise God. Love you”. On top of that, Diddy released a statement in his post.
In said post, Diddy acknowledges the impact Adidas as a brand holds within the hip-hop scene. He directly cites Run-DMC as contributing to the brand’s success in the hip-hop scene. Afterward, he accuses the brand of shady tactics and an unwillingness to help a culture that has supported them. Likewise adding, “Adidas…used Hip Hop to build its brand and make billions…BUT WE ARE MORE THAN JUST CONSUMERS NOW, WE’RE THE OWNERS.”
He concluded his post by stating that Ye is the primary reason behind Adidas’ continued success. In no uncertain terms, he claimed Adidas’ success in hip-hop culture is due to Kanye. A non-controversial opinion to many. He then reiterated that he is done with their products until the corporation makes things right with Kanye.
The Takeaway
Kanye’s recent social media surges garnered much attention; however, many have come to his defense. With more pressure mounting on Adidas to make things right, it seems like a matter of time before some statement or negotiation comes out. Kanye and Diddy seeks to prove with their mutual support that despite being a part of the culture, no corporation is big enough to disregard what the culture demands.
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Written by Ryan Fields
